It is becoming increasingly common to use resources available through the Internet to search for phone numbers, directions or other information that is associated with a geographical location. Websites such as canada411™, 411.ca™, MapOuest™ and Google™, for example, are very popular and many other websites offering similar services are also available.
The number of searchable fields on most websites is quite limited, however, and in some cases performing a search using a website may not be much quicker than performing a manual search using a telephone directory or a map. For example, when searching for a person or business having a common name, multiple pages of results must be viewed before the correct person or business is located. Similarly, using online maps can be quite slow particularly if a user has limited information about their desired location.